The Hunt
by wolfenqueenyuri
Summary: In anticipation of thier yearly Halloween Ball, Regina and Gold have to do some costume shopping. It takes a little arm-twisting to get her husband to agree to her preference, but Regina is nothing if not manipulative. Golden Queen. AU. Fluff and humor, mainly.


Author's note: I love writing Halloween fic, and it so happens that this year my inspiration hit me earlier than usual. As always, this is part of my AU universe, particularly since Rumpel is still the one controlled by the dagger. The main pairing is my beloved Golden Queen, but there is a short scene with Captain Swan, and a reference made to Robin and Belle being together, which is basically me being silly and pairing them up for the hell of it. They do have some history, after all ;) Enjoy the fic and Happy Halloween! (Early as it may be)

* * *

The Hunt

"All right, let's do this!" Regina Gold cracked her knuckles before poising her fingers in preparation of the search she was about to embark on.

"If we must..." Her husband, Aiden, sounded less than enthused at the prospect.

The mayor of Storybrooke aimed a glare at the pawnbroker, who was sitting on the edge of her desk. "It has to be perfect my love, even if it's just one night. After all it's our yearly duty to throw the Halloween Ball."

He sighed and shuffled close enough to look at the computer screen. "Is it really our duty or is it an excuse to make your favorite treats and show off how beautiful you look in your costume?"

At his remark, Regina blushed and went silent before murmuring: "Maybe a little of both."

Chuckling softly, Aiden stood and moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and beginning a light massage. He pressed a kiss to his wife's neck and whispered: "Granted, I don't mind your famous caramel apples and cider... and the fact that I get to peel whatever costume you choose slowly off your body at the end of the night."

Biting back a moan, she leaned into the touch, turning her head slightly to grant him better access. "So I should make sure it's easy to get off and on, then?"

Smirking, he continued to dart kisses along her nape. "Oh yes..."

Her breath hitched when he nibbled slightly at the base of her jaw. "Aiden..."

"Mmm?"

"Stop distracting me and help me pick something."

He pulled back with a pout. "All right, all right…"

She couldn't help her laugh at his grumbling, but was grateful when he grabbed an office chair and brought it next to hers, sitting so he could look over her shoulder.

"Before we begin: is there anything that's completely off the table so we know to skip it?" He asked.

"I know Emma and Killian are determined to do something Star Wars themed, so we should avoid that at all costs. Belle is trying to convince Robin to be the Ethan to her Vanessa since she just binge-watched Penny Dreadful, while he is trying to get her to be the Canary to his Arrow. I have no idea what any of the others are doing but I've heard whispers of an Ever After High theme among some of the ladies in town. Something tells me Ruby is behind that." Regina informed.

"...why does the bit about Belle wanting Robin to be her latest TV crush not surprise me in the slightest?"

His wife paused before stating: "Actually she secretly wants him to be her Creature, but she can't bring herself to ask him."

"Again: this doesn't surprise me."

Shaking her head, Regina typed in the address of a popular costume site, and they began to browse through the options.

* * *

Almost immediately: sexy, impractical pieces that barely covered her body caught her husband's eye. Determined to wear something that was a bit, well, _more_ , Regina guided his attention to the couple-themed costumes in hopes of discovering something that would please them both.

* * *

They scrolled through a few pages with no luck, until something caught her eye that was so unbelievably perfect; it made her lovely features light up in a huge grin.

Aiden blanched when he realized just what his beloved was thinking. "Regina... no."

"Regina yes,"

"No."

"Dear, it's perfect!"

He decided to try a different tactic: spinning her chair around so she could look into his eyes, and aiming what he considered his most adorable puppy-dog expression her way. "Regina, love of my life, I beg you: _please_ do not make me wear that."

She was quiet long enough for him to hope for the best, but then she smirked and leaned forward. "You know the please clause doesn't work on me anymore,"

His eyes narrowed and he growled: "Woman, I have agreed to many things out of love for you, but I am NOT wearing a kilt."

Regina simply grasped his tie and yanked him forward, claiming his mouth in a fervent kiss before muttering against his lips: "With that attitude, you're already a perfect Jamie."

"Can't you find something else? There are plenty of costumes to choose from."

She draped her arms over his shoulders and nuzzled her nose against his. "How about a deal? We'll get those costumes, and you get to reenact the scene with the dagger with me after the party."

His mind flashed back to watching the very episode she had mentioned together, and how it had spiraled into what he considered some of the best sex in their marriage.

"All right, fine: Outlander it is. Go ahead and buy the outfits, but you better not back out on that deal," he agreed after a moment more of reflection.

Regina's delighted smile was nearly worth it alone.

* * *

All Hallows Eve:

The ball itself was a grand success, thanks mostly to Regina's ingenuity and coordination skills, but as far as her husband was concerned: the night couldn't end quickly enough.

"I swear, if I get one more "what are you wearing under that kilt?" from the ladies in this town, I'm going to teleport out of here," Aiden grumbled, adjusting said garment while being practically glued to his wife's side.

"You'll do nothing of the sort," she admonished, brushing crumbs from a recently devoured apple tart off of his outfit.

Despite his obvious discomfort, there was no denying that her beloved looked incredibly sexy as Jamie Fraser, the hero from the time-travel fantasy series, Outlander. He was dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt, made out of brown and green tartan fabric, which was combined with a white poet's shirt, a tan waistcoat and a dark brown overcoat. The ensemble was completed with black, knee length boots. Although he didn't have the same red curls as the character he was portraying, the look suited him perfectly, and Regina was looking forward to helping him out of every piece later that evening.

For her part, the once evil queen looked equally resplendent as Claire Fraser, Outlander's heroine and Jaimie's wife. She was dressed in an earthy gown, which was comprised of dark brown fabric for the bodice, while the full skirt was identical to her husband's kilt. Her dark hair was piled up on her head in a bun, and for once her make-up was not dramatic, but light and simple, which suited the character more.

Smiling, Regina linked her arm with Aiden's. "Come…we'll visit a little while longer and then retire for the evening. The dwarves have graciously agreed to be the clean-up crew so we can go home whenever we want," she whispered, tugging him forward so they could join up with their friends, Emma Swan and Killian Jones, who were dressed as Princess Leia and Han Solo from Star Wars.

Emma smirked over her cup of cider as the other couple came up and filled theirs. "So, Gold, while I'm not complaining, how'd Regina get you to agree to wearing a kilt in the first place?"

"A great deal of blackmail was involved," Aiden muttered, which prompted Regina to elbow him in the ribs.

Killian chuckled and wrapped an arm around Emma's waist. "At least you have the legs to pull the look off, Crocodile."

There was a low growl from the sorcerer, but before he could attempt turning the pirate into a toad, Regina snapped her fingers and suddenly, Michael Jackson's "Thriller" began playing over the speakers. "Come on, love. Let's show them that those legs are good for something other than being ogled."

* * *

A few hours later

A relieved sigh escaped Aiden as he emerged from the master bath, freshly showered and dressed in pajama pants – granted any kind of pants would have sufficed after a kilt all evening.

"I have to hand it to you, Regina, you do know how to throw a party," he confessed, finally looking over at the bed where she was stretched out, cat-like, over the covers.

He nearly walked into a wall when he got a good look at her.

The love of his life was completely nude save for a strategically placed sheet, her raven-colored hair cascading down along her back (he was ever so grateful he'd convinced her to grow it back out).

In one hand, she held his dagger, which gave her full command over him, in the other, was a bright red apple.

With a knowing smirk, she used the tip of the blade to carve out a piece of the fruit. "I agree; I do know how to throw a party. However, I think we both know that it's our private ones that I truly excel at."

She'd never seen him move so fast to get to her, but she wasn't about to protest when he pinned her to the bed, carefully placed the dagger aside, and then dipped his head down to press a tender kiss to her lips.

Regina pulled back, arching an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to recreate the dagger scene?"

Aiden smiled warmly, brushed back her hair, and then murmured: "Later."

He would hold true to that promise. After all: they had made a deal.

The End


End file.
